Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program
Camp Lake and Pines (No. 506)

Overview

Location

Within the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest, Vilas County. T41N-R6E, Sections 26, 27, 34. 243 acres.

Access

From the junction of County M and Highway 51 (ca. 6 miles north of Woodruff), go north on 51 nearly one mile, then west on Woods Road 1.9 miles to the north end of Camp Lake.

Description

Description

Camp Lake and Pines features a dry-mesic forest bordering the east and south sides of Camp Lake, an undisturbed soft-water seepage lake. The canopy is dominated by large red pine and white pine with red oak, red maple, paper birch, balsam fir, big-tooth aspen, and white spruce. The tall shrub layer is composed primarily of beaked hazelnut. Low shrubs and herbs are wintergreen, Canada mayflower, American starflower, early low blueberry, velvet-leaf blueberry, trailing arbutus, and pipsissewa. The forest, although small in extent, is mature and shows little evidence of recent disturbance. Old-growth structural characteristics are beginning to appear. The 37-acre Camp Lake has extremely soft, clear water and a sand and gravel bottom. The flora includes a number of plants that are adapted to the highly oligotrophic (infertile) conditions and are able to absorb CO2 from the sediment through their roots. This rare plant group, called “sterile rosette flora”, are small stiff-leaved plants that hug the lake bottom and are indicative of the lake’s soft-water conditions. Plants include water lobelia, seven-angle pipewort, small waterwort, slender water-milfoil, brown-fruited rush, and golden-pert. Other plants of note are hidden-fruited bladderwort, northeastern bladderwort, and clustered beak-rush. Rare and uncommon birds using the lake include American black duck, bald eagle, and common loon. Other birds are blackburnian warbler, pine warbler, pileated woodpecker, and ovenbird. Camp Lake and Pines is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 2007.

Maps

The WDNR's State Natural Areas Program is comprised of lands owned by the state, private conservation organizations, municipalities, other governmental agencies, educational institutions, and private individuals. Therefore, while the majority of SNAs are open to the public, access may vary accordingly. Public use restrictions may apply due to public safety, or to protect endangered or threatened species or unique natural features. Lands may be temporarily closed due to specific management activities. Users are encouraged to contact the land owner for more specific details.

The data shown on these maps have been obtained from various sources, and are of varying age, reliability, and resolution. The data may contain errors or omissions and should not be interpreted as a legal representation of legal ownership boundaries.

• Detailed Map [PDF, 207 KB]

Activities

Please come prepared for your visit. Amenities vary from site to site with most SNAs being primitive and without facilities. See Guidelines for Visitation for details.

Allowable Activities

Most DNR-owned SNAs allow:

• Hiking
• Hunting
• Fishing
• Trapping
• Skiing

Some exceptions apply. Properties closed to the public or closed to specific use, such as hunting, will be posted.

***For non-DNR-owned SNAs: Additional use guidelines may apply. Please verify any use restrictions with the landowner or contact the SNA Program. Landowners may require additional permits or restrict the number of hunters at a given SNA to provide a quality hunting experience. SNA landowners can be found at the bottom of each SNA description page.

Prohibited Activities

• Horseback riding
• Rock climbing
• Vehicles, including bicycles, ATVs, aircraft, and snowmobiles except on trails and roadways designated for their use
• Collecting of plants (including fruits, nuts, or edible plant parts), animals, fungi, rocks, minerals, fossils, archaeological artifacts, soil, downed wood, or any other natural material, alive or dead

Please note that a permit is required for scientific collection and research on State Natural Areas. For more information, contact Thomas Meyer, State Natural Areas Program Specialist.

For more information on rules governing state-owned SNAs and other state lands, please consult Wisconsin's Administrative Code Chapter NR 45 (exit DNR)